A Traitor in our Midst
by EvilGrammarQueen
Summary: When Neville turns against friends and family, Hermione is the only one who can save them...with help from her worst enemy.


A/N: I wrote this a really long time ago. It's kind of confusing as to where I was going with this plot line…but I guess I'll figure it out sometime…R+R, please.  
  
Draco's POV  
  
I stood outside the Gryffindor Portrait Hole, arguing with the rather fat woman wearing a pink dress inside the picture frame. "Come on! I need to get in there!"  
  
The Fat Lady pursed her lips and looked disapprovingly down at me. "Do you have the password?"  
  
"Of course not! I'm a Slytherin!"  
  
"You look like a smart boy, but I suppose looks can be deceiving. Without a password, you simply cannot enter!"  
  
"But they're in danger!"  
  
"Don't be stupid. I'm here to protect them from Slytherins—" She spat out the word reproachfully—"Like you."  
  
"They're going to die! You've got to let me in!"  
  
The portrait sighed, "Why must I put up with morons such as yourself? You are not a Gryffindor; you are a Slytherin. You have been a Slytherin since September at least, why do you have the sudden urge to enter a tower full of people who—I assume—would sooner curse you than look at you?"  
  
"And I would rather skinny-dip in undiluted bubertuber pus than speak to them, but they're in danger; and despite popular belief, I do not wish them dead."  
  
A stuttering voice interrupted whatever the Fat Lady had been about to say, "W-w-what do y-you want, M-malfoy?" Neville Longbottom said, approaching me cautiously.  
  
"Neville! Look, I need to get into your tower, what's the password?"  
  
His eyes widened, "N-no! I'm not giving y-you anything! You'll t-try to k-kill us!"  
  
"Alright then, just whisper it to the picture and let me in! I swear I won't listen."  
  
"Why?" The boy was slowly gaining his confidence and losing his stutter.  
  
I took a deep breath, "My father's been rumored to be a Death Eater, well, it's true. Tonight, he took me to meet Lord V-um, You-Know-Who. We got there late, and they were discussing Potter. One of the people in Gryffindor is a traitor, whoever it is will try to capture Granger and Weasley to lure Potter into a trap. And well, I suppose you can guess what'll happen there. Look, I honestly don't want him dead! All I want to do is warn them!"  
  
"You've never given any of us reason to trust you! For all I know, the person could be you!" With that, Neville whispered the password and would have squeaked by, had I not grabbed onto his sleeve, which slipped up to reveal the very top of a snake's head.  
  
"What's that?" I suspiciously questioned.  
  
"N-nothing," He replied, trying to pull his sleeve back down, "Let me go!"  
  
"No. Not until you tell me what it really is."  
  
"I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you." He sighed.  
  
I raised one eyebrow, "I don't doubt it."  
  
Neville's eyes widened yet again, and with a final jerk of his arm, ran into Gryffindor Tower.  
  
"Dammit!" I exclaimed as the portrait slammed shut. The Fat Lady regarded me with contempt as I let out a long string of curses. "What? Don't tell me the goody-goody Gryffindors have never cursed in front of you before!"  
  
"I don't like you."  
  
I snorted, "Really? Because I could have sworn that we were the bestest of friends."  
  
"You didn't let me finish. I don't like you, however, if you really feel that you must speak with someone other than Mr. Longbottom, I will get someone to come."  
  
I looked at her incredulously, "How and why?"  
  
She sighed, "By making a lot of noise."  
  
"But why?"  
  
"Because, for some unknown reason, I believe that there is a slim chance that you could be telling the truth. And, while I still don't trust you, if you are telling the truth, one of them will get hurt. I have no desire to see that happen."  
  
"Oh, alright then."  
  
She then let out a high ear-splitting shriek, "Someone! Help! Oh, goodness! Something terrible's happened!"  
  
Seamus Finnigan, Dean Thomas, and Ginny Weasley all came dashing out of the tower. "What's happened?" Seamus asked, glancing around wildly.  
  
Dean looked at me in disgust, "What do you want, Malfoy?"  
  
I turned to Ginny, "I need to talk to your brother."  
  
She began shaking, "NO! You're going to hurt him! I WON'T LET YOU HURT RON!"  
  
At the mention of his name, Ron Weasley also sprinted into the hallway, "Who wants to hurt me? What happened? Malfoy, you do know that the dungeons are where the snobby Death Eaters' children stay, correct?"  
  
"Shut up, idiot." I snarled. I mean, here I was, trying to save his life, and what does he do? He insults me! How obnoxious. "I need to talk to you, Potter, and Granger."  
  
He raised one eyebrow, "Talk? Since when do the three of us talk to you?"  
  
"Since now, go get them!"  
  
"I'm not your house elf, and I won't be ordered around as though I were one!"  
  
"Even our house elves dress better than you do, my father wouldn't let you in to the mansion, he'd be too afraid you'd dirty it with your presence." I couldn't help it. It had just slipped out. Weasley's face just kept getting redder and redder; I could see the anger mounting in him.  
  
Just as he opened his mouth to let out a stream of insults and curses, Potter and Granger walked up from behind me. Granger patted Weasley's arm, "Oh, do calm down, Ron, don't let him get to you!"  
  
Potter looked at me, "Why are you here?"  
  
"I need to talk to you three, in private."  
  
He nodded, "Alright, we'll go to the library. Come on Ron, Hermione."  
  
They both followed, Ron grumbling about how it was so unfair that people such as myself were allowed to exist, Hermione trying very desperately to quiet him. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, we arrived at the library.  
  
I led them to a table in the back, "Here, that way Madame Pince can't overhear us." Potter and Granger sat down, but Weasley stood standing, arms folded. I sighed, "Weasley, if you're waiting for a personal invitation to sit down, you won't get one."  
  
"Why are we here? Why do we care what he has to say?" He said, completely ignoring me.  
  
Harry glared at him, "Because it must be important for him to come to the tower. If he'd just wanted to insult us, he'd have waited until tomorrow. Now sit down." The red haired boy obeyed somewhat reluctantly. "Now, what is it?"  
  
I explained what had happened that night, including Neville's mysterious tattoo. Both Potter and Weasley looked at me as though I'd randomly announced that I was in love with all three of them, and wanted to get married in Peru. "You've lost it." Ron stated, "You've lost all your marbles, and they'll never be found."  
  
"That's why you needed to talk to us in private?" Harry inquired, "That's what was so urgent that you simply couldn't wait until morning?" The two looked at each other and burst into laughter.  
  
"Stop it." Hermione's soft voice interrupted their hysterics, "Do you understand what this means?"  
  
"Yes, that Malfoy's gone off the deep end. Don't tell me you actually believe him, 'Mione!" Ron exclaimed.  
  
"Don't call me that. And I do believe him, though god knows why. He seems to be sincere this time."  
  
"For all we know, he could just be an amazing actor that thinks up horrible scenarios!"  
  
"That's not it." She looked at me strangely, "I trust him. If what he's saying is true, it's quite possible you've been living with a Death Eater for seven years."  
  
"No, we haven't. And do you know why we haven't? Because he's not telling the truth! Tell me, which sounds more believable? That lovable, clumsy Neville is actually an evil, malicious Death Eater? Or, that cheating, immoral Malfoy wants to trick us into trusting him, and then try to kill us?"  
  
She sighed, "I know it sounds strange, but my instincts are telling me that he's telling the truth! After all, remember Quirrel and Snape from first year?"  
  
"Who could forget? But what does that have to do with Neville and Malfoy?"  
  
"It's simple, really. We all thought that it was Snape who was attempting to murder Harry and make the Dark Lord strong again. Instead, it was innocent looking, stuttering Professor Quirrel."  
  
"Right, but that was one time, the circumstances were unusual! Plus, we hadn't shared a room with Quirrel for seven years as we have with Neville."  
  
"That's got nothing to do with it! Why can't you just listen to him? Believe him?"  
  
Ron suddenly exploded, "BECAUSE IT'S MALFOY! THERE'S NO REASON FOR US TO BELIEVE HIM OTHER THAN YOUR "FEMALE INSTINCTS!" I REFUSE TO TRUST SOMEONE WHO'S MOCKED ME FOR SEVEN YEARS STRAIGHT!"  
  
Before this, Harry and I had just sat there, looking at the two of them as they bantered. Now, Harry stood up. "Ron's right. We're leaving now."  
  
My eyes widened, "No! Please! You've got to believe me! It's for your safety! You'll all die if you don't trust me!"  
  
Harry and Ron stalked out of the library, "Are you coming, Hermione?"  
  
"Yes, just a second, wait for me out there." She looked me straight in the eye, "They're right, you know. You've never given us any cause to trust you." I began to protest, but she held a hand up, "Nevertheless, I do believe you. Do you know when Neville will try to capture us?"  
  
"It was supposed to be tomorrow afternoon, but he'll do it as soon as he gets a chance now."  
  
"Alright," she sighed, "I want you to come back to the tower five minutes after we've left. The password's 'Fish sticks.' I'll try to keep Harry and Ron in the Common Room until then. I doubt Neville will try anything in a room full of people. When you get there, I want you to remain in the shadows until I signal you to step out with your wand ready. Then the two of us will stupefy Neville. That way, if he only sees one, the other won't be stopped. But I swear, Malfoy, if you are lying, I will curse you so horribly you won't know your ass from your head." With that, she walked out of the library.  
  
I stared after her, jaw hanging open. I was dumbfounded that Miss Excuse-me while-I-lecture-everyone-on-their-morals Granger had cursed. 


End file.
